Electric needle



M. E. HALL. ELECTRIC NEEDLE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1921.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921 UNITED STATES MARY E. HALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC NEEDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed. May 2, 1921. Serial No. 465,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY E. HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mentor Building, 39 So. State street. Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Needles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric needles for removing superfluous hair.

The needles heretofore employed for that purpose were quite stiff and had an enlarged end which rendered it difficult and painful to insert the needle into the small pore surrounding the hair. these needles, it is impossible for them to bend sufliciently to follow the curve which a pore frequently makes under the skin. In that case the needle does not reach the hair root or papilla and consequently the hair i not killed.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a needle which will follow a curved pore and which can be inserted therein with little or no pain.

These and other objects are accomplished by my invention which consists of an electric needle having a flexible tapering end which permits it to follow the curvature of the hair follicle into which it is inserted.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation of a holder with my needle secured'therein, and Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged section of a hair follicle with my needle inserted therein.

The holder 10 is of a well known construction having jaws 11 by which the needle 12 is held. A wire 13 is held by a binding post 14 and is connected to the negative pole (not shown) of a suitable source of electric current.

The method of operation is as follows The positive pole of the source of current Due to the stiifness of is connected to a bowl of water in which the patient dips his hand, in order to complete the circuit and cause current to flow. The hair 15 to be removed is raised and the point of the needle inserted alongside the shaft of the hair. The needle is then pushed in and owing to the flexibility of the point. the needle will bend to conform to the curvature of the hair follicle 16. The point of the needle is rounded to prevent its readily puncturing the skin. Practice is required to tell when the point of the needle has reached the bottom of the hair follicle at which time it is substantially in contact with the papilla or root 17 of the hair.

The patient then dips his hand in the bowl of water for a few seconds causing current to flow through the needle. The electrolytic action at the point of the needle causes the papilla to be destroyed. On removing the needle the hair is frequently withdrawn from the follicle. If not, a very slight pull serves to remove it. When thus removed, the hair will not return as the root is destroyed.

WVhile I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and Scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claim, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An electric needle for removing hairs, said needle having a relatively stifi' shank and a flexible tapering end, whereby the needle may bend to follow the curvature of a hair follicle into which it is inserted.

MARY E. HALL. 

